Quality of golf courses on the rise in Banten area
JAKARTA (JP): Banten is home to several quality golf courses, each of which claims to offer the best service. What they offer is a blend of difficulty, design strategy, beauty, character, condition, ambience, scenery, design integrity, architectural perfection and other facilities.
There is Padang Golf Modern, Imperial Klub Golf, Gading Raya Padang Golf & Klub, Bumi Serpong Damai Course, Kedaton Golf, Takara Indah Golf, Mega Cemara Golf Club and Padang Golf Permata Krakatau. It all depends on individual preference, however, in selecting which of these outstanding courses is the best.
There are several types of golf courses, including resort courses, daily-fee or municipal and semiprivate courses. For example, some semiprivate clubs restrict outside players to certain days of the week (and often certain times during those days).
Other courses boast they have the best scenery. In fact, each golf course has some aesthetic reference that gives it a unique appeal.
Some courses may also claim that they are secluded. For some players who are also tourists, places far removed from civilization but with outstanding layouts are worth the trip.
Most of the golf courses in Banten area are well designed. Take a look at the Bumi Serpong Damai Golf Course. It is a "stadium type" golf course. The fairways and greens are located in the hills, so the course offers an enjoyable challenge.
The Gading Raya Golf Course & Club, has a strong hole to kick off the outward nine. A generous fairway is provided here to get play underway. The ideal line, however, is to the left side, setting up a less obstructed approach. A rocky creek meandering from the left of the green will have to be taken into consideration when hitting out of the green-side trap.
The Padang Golf Modern claims to be the first to offer night golf in Indonesia. Designed by Peter Thomson, it is situated on 81 hectares of land, including a six-hectare clubhouse.
Sales and marketing manager Ehlis said Padang Golf Modern, which opened in June 1994, collaborated with several leading golf courses in Asia to allow its members to play golf when abroad without having to pay green fees. Owned and managed by PT Modernland Realty, Padang Golf Modern has some 1,600 members, including 1,200 golf players.
Imperial Klub Golf, located in Lippo Karawaci, is a public golf course. It is situated in the center of the Lippo township, a 500-hectare development project.
Created by Desmond Muirhead, the 6,429-meter, 18-hole championship golf course blends essential Indonesian images into a large conceptual sculpture. The distinct challenges make the course enjoyable for all levels of golfers, with each hole having its own identity, name and individuality.
Operation manager Herman La Rante said Imperial, which is managed by the Hong Kong-based CCA, employed 350 people, including caddies. He said the number of members at the club was limited to 150 for the sake of convenience.
The Permata Krakatau Golf Course in Cilegon is part of state- owned PT Krakatau Industrial Estate Cilegon. The course opened in 1973 and remains the only golf course in Cilegon.
General manager Suripno said Permata Krakatau's tee times were about 80 percent to 90 percent booked during weekends and 30 percent booked on weekdays. He said the course was also equipped with a driving range, lockers, a pro shop, restaurant and putting green. (icn)